Balancing priorities between business units is challenging. How do you ensure project quality doesn't suffer?

Understanding the overall goals of the business and project is key to a quality end result. When you understand the vision a business has, you will be able to direct the project and focus in on the areas that will count. This will also allow you to know where areas can be reduced without sacrificing the desired end result.

One thing I have found useful in aligning goals is to keep your eye on the greater mission. If the mission is to grow revenue or say customer satisfaction then finding out what each business units care in those mission and then aligning a joint goal statement is key to get everyone onboard. An aligned goal goal a long way to driving common results for excellence.

First, focus on building team harmony by fostering clear communication within the team to encourage collaborative efforts. Ensure that each business unit understands and aligns with the vision and mission statement, which should guide them in achieving compliance goals. This includes setting and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) within each business unit.

To achieve resource balance, establish an effective monitoring system to assist with resource mobilization and reallocation of manpower and budget. Regularly hold team meetings with business unit heads to gather information on progress and challenges, ensuring that manpower and budget allocation align with your original plan.

I have seen this falling short due to other higher priorities. Often the minimum is sufficient to run the busy and continuous improvements not returning the investments.

For CI to kick in, few practical pointers - Establish baseline of existing performance ( easier said than done) - Identify areas where improvements will impact most at business outcomes level - Prioritize the improvement initiatives - Conduct make vs buy analysis to consider external partner support - Enlist partners or internal resources who have prior experience in executing similar initiatives - Establish Governance, monitoring and close loop feedback for continuous improvement - Drive the improvements and ingrain in new set of behaviors as new normal

One thing I have found helpful is focusing on risk mitigation and that is largely driven by all stakeholders knowing who is responsible for each area of a project, who is accountable, who should be consulted, and who should be informed.

A key instrument on how a good company becomes great is in its ability to construct and orchestrate the portfolio prioritization framework. The intake process enables execution excellence, and you can see examples of this superpower in Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Microsoft among others. It is said that Steve Jobs used to say "No" to more than 99% of product ideas, and only a handful would be worth pursuing that would shape future generations. Few priorities are better between discretionary / non-discretionary projects. It becomes easy for us, employees at all levels to mobilize around the cause and do incredible things that defy logic! As leaders, it is incumbent on us to vet project CBAs from all angles, ask tough questions, and be deliberate.